112 ANNEX IV: GUIDELINES Conclusion – this should briefly summarize the main issues addressed in the shadow report and can include recommendations for the government. The committee may take up some of these recommendations to include in its Concluding Observations. Sources – it is vital to refer to reliable sources in order to illustrate arguments. Specific cases of violations of which your organization is aware can be useful as long as sufficient information is provided that will enable your allegations to be crosschecked with the source. Never make allegations without firm evidence. Avoid general references such as ‘reliable sources said ...’; in shadow reports you need to specify who those ‘reliable sources’ are. Committees may not routinely give the state information submitted to it by NGOs; however, you should be aware that despite requests for confidentiality, the state party may end up seeing the shadow report. Therefore care should be taken to ensure it is written in a way that will not endanger sources. A variety of information can be used to support your arguments. This includes: • • • • • • official government documents court cases UN documents (eg: from other Treaty-bodies or Special Rapporteurs) UN agency documents (for example, ILO, UNICEF, UNHCR, etc) work of national human rights institutions decisions of regional bodies (for example, African Commission, Council of Europe, Inter-American Commission) • academic research • cases reported in newspapers (ensure the newspaper sources are reliable). For all forms of information, and particularly for statistical data, clearly state where, when, how and by whom it was collected or produced. Language – NGO shadow reports will be circulated in the language in which they are received. Most committee members have English as a working language so it is advisable to produce your report in English. However, if you can translate the report into other UN languages, this will be highly appreciated by committee members who do not use English. Length – committee members receive huge amounts of information. A concise document setting out crucial issues will be better received than a longer, detailed